Here is a list of the top 16 highest earning authors according to Forbes. I was surprised to see Janet Evanovich coming in 3rd! ahead of Nora Roberts. Daniel Steele is way up there also and I have never read her.

- I think Nora Roberts is slowly but surely on the decline. I haven't read her straight books in ages. J. D. Robb is an exception.
- I would guess that Janet Evanovich's sales come from having crossed both the romance and mystery genre, whereas Nora Roberts stays firmly in romance.
- I read DS once to see what makes her one of the bestselling authors of all time. I'm still wondering.
- It would be worth seeing the list ranking # units moved rather than just earnings. Because many of the high earning ones publish books that come out in hardcover first, and not cheap ones either. Stephen King's 11/22/63 alone retailed at $40CAD, whereas the hardcover for the Hunger Games is only $20CAD. I suspect when looking at hard copies moved, the list would look very different.

Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele didn't surprise me for a couple of reasons. The first is that there are always just tons of their books at library sales and used book stores. Volume speaks, well, volumes. (And for all the e-book readers there are, there are still plenty of paper book readers.)

Danielle Steele always makes the NY Times top ten best seller list time after time. relentlessly. She must have a really dedicated core audience.

Even though many non-book stores have cut back on how many books they display these days--like Walmart and Target--there are always a row of Nora Roberts books from various years there. One thought I had--especially after talking about her In Death books--is that her books hold up over time and I have to believe even older reissued books keep selling. (I read the reissued Mackade series myself for the first time not too long ago.) Otherwise, in these times, no way would the stores stock her. Even my local CVS's small book section has a Nora "selection."

Janet Evanovich didn't totally surprise me only because of her books continuing to hit best-seller lists. Apparently a lot of folks need their Stephanie, Ranger or Morelli fix, even if there's not much new. Maybe like a visit with old friends. JE also has a backlist that keeps getting released. What truly did surprise me was JE in third place overall. I never would have imagined that.

Last edited by Eliza on Mon Sep 24, 2012 5:57 am; edited 1 time in total

Just a follow-up to see if the same romance authors, esp. Roberts, Steel and Evanovich we discussed before, held on to NYT best-seller status.**

As an aside, I happened to notice while non-book store shopping that in addition to Nora Roberts the other authors regularly stocked in greater numbers in small book sections (including older books) were Debbie Macomber and Susan Mallery. It wasn't unusual to also see Linda Lael Miller and Sherryl Woods. In fact, Macomber appears on all three lists below.

I'm obviously interested in book buying patterns, speaking of which George R.R. Martin's Game of Throne books are doing gangbusters in paper but not in e-form, while quite a bit of the e-list is held by romance tending toward erotica. And Sandra Brown is on all three lists, but not given extra treatment that I noticed in box stores. I'm not an statistics expert but I find it all interesting. I hope someone else does too.

Just a follow-up to see if the same romance authors, esp. Roberts, Steel and Evanovich we discussed before, held on to NYT best-seller status.**

As an aside, I happened to notice while non-book store shopping that in addition to Nora Roberts the other authors regularly stocked in greater numbers in small book sections (including older books) were Debbie Macomber and Susan Mallery. It wasn't unusual to also see Linda Lael Miller and Sherryl Woods. In fact, Macomber appears on all three lists below.

I'm obviously interested in book buying patterns, speaking of which George R.R. Martin's Game of Throne books are doing gangbusters in paper but not in e-form, while quite a bit of the e-list is held by romance tending toward erotica. And Sandra Brown is on all three lists, but not given extra treatment that I noticed in box stores. I'm not an statistics expert but I find it all interesting. I hope someone else does too.

I am surprised by the differences between the types of books that sell in different formats. I have wondered if YA books sell better in book form because many teens might not have access to e-book readers? On the other hand youth might be technically ahead and read the e-books?

- I read DS once to see what makes her one of the bestselling authors of all time. I'm still wondering.

If you have read one Danielle Steel, you have read about 10 of hers, she only seemed to a few storys to tell. Or at least that is what I thought about 15 years ago when I dipped my toe into her books.

[/quote]- It would be worth seeing the list ranking # units moved rather than just earnings. Because many of the high earning ones publish books that come out in hardcover first, and not cheap ones either. Stephen King's 11/22/63 alone retailed at $40CAD, whereas the hardcover for the Hunger Games is only $20CAD. I suspect when looking at hard copies moved, the list would look very different.
[/quote]

In additon to the cost of their hardbacks, did they figure in their earns off movies and such. Because Stephen King must make a good bit of his money from movies and TV. there is a newer tv show on a cable channel based on the Colorado Kid. And if they are figuring E.L James will be at the head of the list next year then it has to be with the movie rights, because I don't think the 3 books would be enough. I am thinking that is why Twilight, and others made the top 5.